


Miracles Don't Exist

by sekretkintsugi



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Might Add More Ships As I Go, honestly writing this as I go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekretkintsugi/pseuds/sekretkintsugi
Summary: Gwen's life had reached a standstill. Her job was all she could ever ask for, but day after day she had been left wanting more. As she reminisces about the past, a golden opportunity comes in the mail - literally. Maybe miracles do exist, and she just needs to open herself up to finding them.
Relationships: Courtney/Gwen (Total Drama)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 51





	1. Prologue

_Take your time, Gwen! Your mental health is more important than posting for us._

_We love you. Don't push yourself too hard!_

_I'm glad you're taking some time for yourself._

One hand propped her face up as she scrolled through the comments on her latest upload. Her makeup and art blog had been doing pretty well, but over the years, she had progressively lost motivation to continue doing what she once loved. Her latest blog post, titled "Sorry! Brief Hiatus," informed her fans of her, well, brief hiatus. Though Gwen wasn't sure what the word "brief" implied. A week? A month? A year? Whatever it was, Gwen had to somehow find her motivation before it was up. Was it under the bed? Nope, she'd checked already. In her drawer? Nah, she'd have noticed it by now. Wherever it was, its absence was causing massive issues.

It wasn't that Gwen disliked her job. Ten years ago, she'd have killed to be able to make money off of sharing her art and makeup techniques. She would tell herself, "miracles don't exist." She believed it wholeheartedly, too. She didn't want to get her teenage hopes up by perpetuating the idea that somehow, she would be able to make money off of doing what she loves. Yet she finally made it. But lately, everyday had become the same to her. Her fanbase loved her, but she didn't _feel_ loved. There was a serious disconnect between her and the names she saw on screen. "We love you, Gwen!" was no consolation when she went to bed alone and empty. "Your makeup is so pretty!" meant nothing when no one was there to see it in person. Yet, despite successfully identifying the root cause of her problem, it was a completely different matter of fixing it. She didn't have any real life friends. Her love life was as dry as the Sahara. How did it get to be like this? The last time she'd had meaningful connections was...

Oh God. No, not that. Anything but that.

But it was true. It was the real, last time that she had friends. The last time that she talked to people and people talked to her. She leaned back on her desk chair, a smile prodding at her lips as the memories flooded her thoughts. Names came back one by one. A chuckle escaped here and there. Where were they all now? It had been what... Four? Five years? How time had slipped by. What would it take to go back to those perfect days... No. Not perfect. Was it really?

The room around her was blue and dark. Light fought the edges of the curtains, pushing its way in only slightly. It was the same room she'd seen every time she opened her eyes, and the same room she had grown to loathe. The fluffy carpet mocked her, mimicking the sea with its deep blue hue, only it was too scared to make any attempts at drowning her. Her bedsheets clumped at the edge of the bed, one over the other, curling up into a boulder until at the end of the day it would be unraveled to hide her from the world.

She closed her eyes and away she went. Beneath her feet now was splintered cabin wood and a dingy little rug, with stains she couldn't even identify. Her bed was adorned with paper-thin bedsheets, and an even thinner mattress beneath. The sight coerced another smile. She could do things now. Yeah! Her motivation was just hiding in the cruddiest corner of her mind. As she opened her eyes, the atmosphere changed from a cruddy cabin to back her room. And, with the change in scenery, her motivation was scared off as well. Not like she expected to be back there, anyways. Cause miracles don't exist.

Did she really miss it that much? Of course she would. She loved it. The gift of hindsight was so devilish sometimes. Five years ago, she'd never have thought that one day, she'd actually miss waking up in a disgusting, roach-infested shack and forced to risk her life on television, but sitting in front of the same computer that she had been for the past five years since then has changed her viewpoint considerably. Something needed to be changed. She couldn't keep waking up in the same room everyday, to sit in front of the same computer, to do the same things. God, how she just wanted someone to _talk_ to! That alone would be enough change for her.

But miracles don't exist. A melted Gwen sat, half in her chair and half on the floor, just staring at the ceiling. It was only 12 A.M., but her room was so, so dark. 12 A.M.! The mail usually arrived around this time. Finally, an excuse to get out of the chair, even if it was for only one minute.

Sunlight and Gwens are like water and oil - they just don't go together. Nevertheless, through squinted eyes, she made her way to the mailbox and retrieved her sought-after gold. She practically ran back to the house, closing and locking the door behind her hastily in order to hide from the prying sun. The letters dangled curiously in her hand. She flipped through them, one by one, until her fingers froze. Her eyes were locked on one letter, and she almost couldn't believe them.

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Miracles don't exist.


	2. Miracle Roommates

Before the clock had struck 2 P.M., Gwen had already packed her bags. There they sat, on her cleanly made bed, with the blue bedsheets tucked neatly into its sides. The bedroom was less blue than it had felt previously. Sunlight pooled in the middle of the room, free to do so now that the curtains weren't closed shut. While her shoulders still sagged, and her worries still persisted, she briefly felt the reignition of a long burnt-out flame. God. The timing was just perfect. _Too_ perfect. But it didn't matter how perfect the timing was. It was an opportunity, and she'd be damned if she wasn't gonna take it. 

Gwen went to sit on her bed, the two packed bags rising as she did so due to the shift in weight. The letter sat pristinely on her night table, glittering in the fresh, warm, sunlight. One edge of her mouth turned upwards as she reached out for it, desperate to reread it once again. 

_Dear Gwen,_

_Pack your bags, 'cause the competition isn't gonna be the same without you! That's right, you read that correctly. Another competition, baby! I know it sounds crazy, but my producers have been pushing me to get you guys to come back for a reunion, 'specially considering the fifth anniversary is coming up. Don't worry, this season will be a lot more tame compared to the others, much to my dismay. It'll be at a resort, so you won't have to worry too much about shoddy cabins. Producers went all-out budget wise for some reason._

_As for the competition, it will be much, much different than what you guys are used to. Instead of risking your lives (bummer!), we'll be choosing the winner based on popular fan vote. So be sure to brush up on your likability, 'cause it all depends on how the cameras treat ya!_

_We'll still be having challenges, though. Only for prizes. Anyways, hope to see ya there! You can find details 'bout the resort location, date, basically all the technical stuff I'm too lazy to take care of, on the second page._

_See ya later,_  
_Chris McLean_

Her hands gripped the paper. Chris was a total asshole, sure, but a reunion? That was a chance to see the others again. She'd been waiting for this opportunity ever since the show ended. The competitive aspect didn't matter all that much. Leshawna would be there. Hopefully they could reconnect. Cody would probably be there, too, and admittedly, she really missed him. Duncan and Courtney would make things confusing, of course, but it was nothing unmanageable. Her eyes closed, and for a second, she was lounging on a pool chair, under the shade of a large umbrella, while the sweet sounds of laughter surrounded her. Once her eyes opened again to her dismal surroundings, she was met not with disappointment, but a growing hope. Yes. Soon she'd be there. It was just a matter of time.

She stood up sharply and placed the paper from the letter back into its envelope, which was then hastily stuffed into a pocket in one of her bags. It was time to leave now. Gripping the handles of both of her bags tightly, she took one last look around her room. It was definitely different now. Probably just the opened curtain. Gwen couldn't remember the last time she had actually opened them. But still, something peculiar stood out. It was as if the room had become... bigger. Usually, she felt suffocated when standing in the middle of her bedroom, but this time, she could breath. The carpet's oceanlike waves rolled smoothly, setting her to sea on a voyage with something richer than buried treasure as a destination. Bittersweet, was that the word? But she'd be back. It wasn't like she was going away forever. Yet, something was left in that room that day. And leaving it there made her shoulders a little less sluggish than they always were.

Gwen didn't hesitate when walking out of her house into the broad daylight. The sun was warm, soothing her rather than scaring her off. She was on her way.

==========

It was magnificent. Truly magnificent. The white walls of the resort pierced the sunny blue sky as they came into view. While her taxi came to a slow stop, Gwen let out a soft breath. She paid the taxi driver and stood out on the sidewalk as he drove away. Her head then turned to meet the front gate of the resort. Its large black metal lock reflected her face perfectly. She looked around, seeing a buzzer on the side of the gate. Her thumb pressed the button firmly, its smooth surface clanking against her nail as she did so. A voice then filtered through the machine in response.

"Hey, Gwen! Look, Chef! It's Gwen! Told ya she'd come."

Although the quality of the microphone was piss-poor, that voice belonged to the one and only, wonderfully narcissistic, Chris McLean.

"Chris! Let me in already," Gwen said. Her grip on her bags was loosening.

"Alright, sheesh. Impatient much?" Chris replied. His voice was soon replaced by a loud _beeeeep!_ and the gate opened. Gwen trudged through the now-open entrance. Ahead of her was a long walk to the front of the resort, and an equally long flight of stairs. Chris really wasn't lying when he said the producers went all out this season, which part of her had almost fully expected to be a complete lie, if she knew anything about Chris.

It was a while before Gwen reached the top of the stairs to meet the resort's glass entrance. She dropped one bag and wiped sweat from her brow with her free hand. Picking up her bag again, she entered the resort. 

Saying it was beautiful would be an understatement. It was the fanciest place Gwen had ever seen, and probably would ever see. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and candles littered the wall. There was a grand staircase that split into two different staircases halfway up. Fancy benches, if those were even a thing, bordered the room. Her awe was cut short by a familiar voice.

"Hello? You signing in or what?"

She turned to the source of the voice. It came from a blonde woman standing behind a desk, with her hands on her hips. Wait, that wasn't just any woman.

"Blaineley?" Gwen asked, involuntarily smiling as she walked over to her. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. For some reason, Chris thinks he can force me to be in charge of of sign-ins!" said Blaineley, sliding a sign-in sheet in front of Gwen. She sat in her chair, crossing her arms.

Gwen dropped her bags at her sides and reached for a pen in a cupholder that was on the desk. "Well, looks like he got you right where he wants you," she said, signing her name next to her typed name on the sheet.

"That jerk thinks he's hot stuff just because the producers are spoiling him for this season. But," Blaineley said, standing up and sending her chair backwards, "once this season is over, that's it for him. No more reunions. He was a one-hit wonder, you hear me?!"

"Uh, yeah," Gwen said. "Hey, do you know where I can put my bags?"

"Why would I know?" Blaineley sat down in her chair again, letting it swing from side to side. When Gwen didn't move, she sighed. "Okay. You're Gwen, right? Not like I could forget you." She pulled out a piece of paper from a drawer, scanning its pages. "Room 3B." Blaineley then stood, taking a key out of her pocket and opening the wall of keys behind her. She grabbed a key that was under the label _3B_ and handed it to Gwen. However, next to the spot Blaineley had taken the key from was another spot labeled _3B_ , except it was empty.

"Hey, there's another spot labeled 3B. Do I have a roommate?" Gwen asked.

"I don't get paid enough to care. Now get out of here," Blaineley said. She took out a magazine and hid behind it.

Gwen rolled her eyes. Blaineley was your typical diva. She should've expected just as much. But this wasn't about Blaineley, or how she would be treated; Gwen expected shitty service. It _was_ Total Drama after all, and when was the service not shitty? What it _was_ about was figuring out who her roommate was. Her fingers curled around her bags, tapping away while Gwen marched up the stairs. _3B, 3B, 3B..._ she repeated. She read each of the rooms numbers. 1B. 2B. And then, the glorious, ever sought-after, 3B. She dropped her bags, using the key to open the door to the room. Picking up her bags, she finally walked in. But she never would've guessed who she was sharing a room with.

"O! Em! Gee!" Sierra squealed, rushing over to hug Gwen, causing her bags to fall out of her grip.

"Ah, a little tight, Sierra!" Gwen said.

"She remembers my name! Eeeeee!" Sierra gushed, letting go of Gwen. 

Gwen closed the door behind her, then bent over to pick up her bags, letting out a small laugh as she did. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You're a big time e-celeb! I wouldn't have blamed you for forgetting little ol' me."

"Trust me. I couldn't forget you in a million years."

"And we're roomies! I'm so excited! We can have girls' nights and become best friends and -- oh my gosh!"

Gwen placed her bags on a bed, sitting down next to them as she opened one and began unpacking. "It sounds fun, Sierra. But I thought you didn't like me?"

"Oh, that was a long time ago! Did you really think I would hold a grudge for that long?"

Grudge? Gwen didn't even do anything to her. If anyone should hold a grudge, it should be... No. She shouldn't think like that. Maybe Sierra's right; grudges just go away after a while. "I don't know. I-I just didn't think you'd wanna, you know, be 'besties' with someone like me."

"Are you kidding?! Gwen, you're like, totes one of the best contestants the show has ever _seen_! No negative talk on my watch. Here, let me help you." Sierra opened Gwen's second bag, taking out her belongings and placing them where they needed to be.

"Thanks, Sierra." Gwen soon finished unpacking the first bag, putting it under her bed, and began helping Sierra with the second. Her attention slowly drifted to her surroundings. The room was large and beige. There was a balcony with a thin, white curtain swaying lightly due to a slight breeze. What caught Gwen's eye, however, was a third bed, all the way over on the far side of the room. "Uh, Sierra?"

"Yes?" Sierra said, still nose-deep in Gwen's stuff.

"Why's there a third bed?" Gwen asked, walking over to it. She placed a hand on it, pushing down on the soft bedsheet. The mattress sprang back smoothly in response to her touch.

"We're probably gonna have a third roommate! I know Bridgette, Leshawna, and Lindsay are roomies!" Sierra responded, not taking her focus off of helping Gwen unpack.

A third roommate. Who could it be? It'll be a girl, so that limits the options. It can't be Bridgette, Leshawna, or Lindsay, so... Who's left? Then a thought crossed her mind.

Could it be? No. She wasn't ready yet.

"Done!" Sierra said triumphantly, zipping Gwen's bag closed and stuffing it under her bed with the first one. 

"Thanks, Sierra," Gwen said.

"No problem! Hey, who do you think is gonna win? My money's on Owen!"

"I honestly don't care. It might sound harsh, but I'm really not here for the competition this time." Gwen sat down on her bed, sinking into the impossibly soft mattress. She kicked her boots off and raised her legs onto the bed, laying down. She rested her head on a pillow and her head, much like her body with the mattress, sunk down against its incredible softness. Was everything here just gonna be super soft?!

"Samesies!" Sierra said, jumping onto her own bed. "I'm not here for the vacation, though. I just wanna see everyone again!"

Sierra must've thought that Gwen was only here for the food and hotel. It wasn't in-character for Gwen to want to be around other people, and she was well aware of that. Gwen stared at the ceiling. Should she correct her? _"Sierra, I'm not here for the food, but because I secretly love you guys, goddamnit!"_ No. She should keep this a secret, at least for now. But it was reassuring that Sierra, like her, was also just here to reconnect with everyone.

"These beds are really soft," Gwen said, trying to make some sort of small talk.

"IKR? It's like I'm sitting on a bunch of baby chicks!" Sierra said.

Gwen allowed herself to relax. She put her hands behind her head, sinking down further in her bed. The mattress molded as she moved. She could stay here forever. But unfortunately, that wasn't gonna happen. After the competition, she had to return to her mundane life, in her blue room where the sun never shone and the mattress never molded to her sleeping position. What would the food here be like? Her mouth began to water at the mere thought of resort food. But, as for her first day, she just wanted to sit and take it all in.

That was hard to do considering the person that walked in the door next.

A key jangled in the keyhole, turning Gwen's attention from the very fascinating blank ceiling to the door. The door then flew open, revealing a not-so-pretty sight.

Heather.

"O! Em! Gee!" Sierra said. The exact same thing she said to Gwen when she first walked in, too. And, much like that encounter, Sierra hugged Heather with a similar level of tightness. Sierra had only one mode of communication: batshit insane.

"Get off of me!" Heather demanded. 

Sierra immediately did as commanded. "Heather! We're roomies! OMG I am so excited!" Sierra then gasped, holding her face with both of her hands. "This is like a Team Amazon reunion!"

Yeah, except they were missing one person. At least, one person who could've theoretically been with them. 

"Oh great, I get crazy chick and creepy goth girl." Heather strode over to the vacant bed nearest the balcony, way on the other side of the room. She dropped her bags, although with the way they hit the floor, it was more like she threw them. "This sucks!"

"Try to hide your excitement," Gwen remarked. "I'm not too excited about sharing a room with you, either."

"Shut it, gothy."

"Girls! Fellow Amazonians! Can we please get along here? Imagine the fun we could have!" Sierra said.

"Fun doesn't exist when Heather's around," Gwen said.

"Oh, really? That's rich coming from the boyfriend stealer." Heather unzipped one of her bags, beginning to unpack.

"You're still on that?" Gwen asked.

" _Everyone's_ still on that. This season is about fan favorites. You haven't made such a reputation for yourself over the years." Heather was now folding her clothes and placing them into a drawer, smiling.

Yeah, sure. Back on the show, she was known as a "boyfriend stealer," but it's been five years. No one should still be harboring any bad feelings, right? Not even...? Gwen pushed aside her doubts. No way was she gonna let Heather make her feel bad about herself. "You're not much of a fan favorite, either!"

"Hard disagree. People love the way I played the game. I was certainly the most interesting. True," she said as she slammed a drawer shut and turned to Gwen, eyes like daggers, "I have a lot of convincing to do. But I'm _very_ persuasive."

"She's right," Sierra said, facing Gwen. "Heather's one of the most popular contestants, according to Total Drama online polls. People love someone who can bring the drama. It _is_ the name of the game!" Sierra paused. Gwen stared at the carpet, defeated. Sierra scrambled to reassure her. "But, you're really popular too, Gwen!"

"As a boyfriend stealer," Heather added, her back now turned.

Gwen didn't respond. She didn't know how. She laid back down on her bed, sinking deep into it. Sierra must've gotten the hint that she wanted to be left alone, because sooner or later, she found her own thing to do. Was Gwen really destined to be the boyfriend stealer? She desperately wanted to be known as anything else. But Heather was right. Some grudges just don't die. Some people just never forget. And then that name came back to her.

Courtney.

Gwen and Courtney became great friends during All-Stars, but it all came crashing down when Courtney betrayed Gwen. But the important thing was that they were past the whole boyfriend stealing stuff by that point. Damnit. Gwen was so stupid. Heather really made her believe it was worse than it actually was. Gwen hugged a pillow. Even so, Courtney could still be bitter about their failed friendship. Why did she care about Courtney so much? She looked at the ceiling. To see Courtney again would make her so happy but the thought of talking to her made her heart skip a beat. With all that happened between them, would they really be able to be friends again?

No. No they wouldn't. That would be too much of a miracle, and Gwen knew all about the existence of miracles.


	3. Miracle Reunion

"Gooood evening campers!"

The voice rang throughout the room. Gwen looked up to the corner of the wall to see that what she originally thought was a vent turned out to be an intercom. Great.

"I hope you all are settled in, because it's dinnertime!"

Gwen glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was 6:00 P.M. already. Somehow, she'd let three hours of her time slip by without even realizing it. She must've dozed off for a bit at some point -- there's just no way three hours passed in what felt like such a short amount of time. A quick look around the room confirmed that she was the only one there. Where Heather and Sierra went off to, she hadn't a clue.

Chris' voice continued. "Now, make your way to the outside -- yep, you heard that right -- outside gazebo 'round the back! It's hard to miss. We'll be enjoying some fine, outside dini- No, Chef, they told you they didn't need any help in the kitch- Well what am I supposed to do about it? Uh, yeah. Gazebo in the back guys. Seeya there, campers!" And with a short _click!_ , the announcement was over.

Gwen got out of bed groggily. She yawned, stretching. This was it. This was when she would meet everyone else for the first time since the show ended all those years ago. She got up and took a quick glance in the mirror, fixing her hair and makeup in under ten seconds, before putting her boots on and walking out of the room. The gazebo was in the back of the resort. Down the hall, opposite the way she came in from, was a glowing sign that read "Exit." With a shrug, Gwen began walking towards it.

One flight of stairs and a large sliding glass door later, Gwen was outside on the back patio. Across the way was a huge gazebo, with people already sitting down at a long table beneath it. Everyone seemed to already be there. In fact, she hadn't seen _anyone_ in the hallway as she was walking outside. Must've taken too long with her makeup. Gwen began the walk along the smooth, ornate concrete walkway, all the way over to the gazebo. Careful as to not draw any attention to herself, she scanned the seats, looking for an empty one. All of her old castmate's faces returned to her. Gwen cringed as she heard someone scream her name.

"Gwen! Hey, Gwen! Over here! I saved you a seat!" Sierra yelled over the cacophony, or what used to be cacophony. Soon, dozens of eyes were piercing through Gwen, which made her wince internally. She walked over to Sierra, taking a seat between her and... Oh no. She couldn't sit next to... to _her_. Not yet. But those eyes wouldn't let go of Gwen, and so as to not disappoint them, she took the seat.

The normal chitter-chatter soon returned, allowing Gwen to let out a relaxing breath. She turned to Sierra. "Thanks for saving me a seat."

"Oh, no prob! It's good to have Team Amazon all in one place again!" Sierra said.

Next to Sierra was Cody, and next to Cody was Heather. Next to Gwen was Sierra and... Gwen turned to face the other, unnamed Team Amazon contestant, just for a moment. But their eyes intersected for less than a second, although Gwen could've mistaken it for a year.

"Hey Gwen! Long time, no see. How are you?" Courtney said, smiling brightly.

Gwen's heart was ready to jump out of her chest and flop out onto the table in front of her. But instead of that, Gwen just simply replied. "I'm good, Courtney. How about you?"

"Oh, you know. Lawyering stuff. It's really fun but sometimes it's nice to just... Relax." Courtney leaned forward, propping her head up with one of her hands, still facing Gwen.

"Oh, so you passed the bar exam. I'm happy for you." Gwen rubbed her left arm with her right hand.

"It wasn't easy, let me tell ya. But yeah, I'm a full-blown lawyer now."

"Good to know that I have someone to go to if I ever need legal advice."

"I'm your girl," Courtney said with a wink.

Gwen faced forward, heart still racing. Why was she so damn nervous around her? It seemed like all of their bad blood had dissipated, so she really had nothing to fear. Gwen swallowed harshly, pushing her reservations deep down within her. "So, when's the food gonna get here?"

"Chris said we have to wait for him. As per usual, he's late," Courtney said. She adjusted her plate and silverware.

As if summoned by their conversation, a universally annoying voice pierced their collective ears. "What's up, campers! Welcome back to the show!" Chris walked in through the back of the gazebo, Chef trailing behind. And where there was Chris, there were cameras. The cameramen scattered all around the table, taking good pictures of everyone who was there, and then some. Chris clasped his hands together, his bright smile not even looking like it was a day older. "How's it feel to be back?"

"Awful," Heather said, crossing her arms.

"I'm glad to be back," Harold said.

"Same here!" Owen chimed. "Plus, this place rocks!"

"Well, you'll all have time to tell the audience how you truly feel. The cameras are gonna be everywhere, 'cept the bedrooms and bathrooms. Violates some sort of thing called 'privacy.' Anyways, before you guys can eat, we gotta talk about the game." Chris took a seat at the head of the table. Chef stood behind him, holding a mini electric fan up to his head, which was causing his hair to wave ever so slightly. "So, as you've all been made aware, the winner this season will be voted by the fans. Don't worry, there's still hope for people like you, Cody."

Cody raised his head, tilting it and raising an eyebrow as if he wasn't aware that he had just been insulted.

Chris let out a small laugh, continuing. "Even if you aren't a fan favorite, you still have a chance to win. Anyone can rise and become a beloved this season. We'll give you all the camera time you desire. All that needs to be done on your part is to convey the picture of a charming individual who the fans will love. And whaddya know, even Beth can win. Hahaha."

Beth furrowed her brows. "Hey!" 

"Shut it. I'm not done. Every week, one contestant will be voted off by the fans. So don't piss any of them off. Make it so that the fans want you to stay, no matter what. Doesn't necessarily have to be for a good reason either, hehehe." Chris swept some of his hair out of his face, which returned in an instant due to the blowing air from the electric fan.

"What about the competitions? You said there'd be competitions." Alejandro held out an accusatory finger towards Chris.

Chris shoved the electric fan out of his face. Chef retreated, now using the fan on himself. Chris nodded in response to Alejandro. "Yes, you are right. But if you read further, the competitions are simply for aesthetics. Rewards only."

"What kind of rewards?" Leshawna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Up on the top floor of this resort is a deluxe suite. With a hot tub, a large balcony, a drink fridge that gets refilled daily, and top of the line room service. Once a week, we will have a challenge to determine who will have the deluxe suite for that week. You also get to choose who to bring with you, _if_ the challenge doesn't qualify for two winners."

"Two winners? That's dumb," Heather said.

"Yeah, but sometimes I don't like giving the winners a choice. A lot of what happens here comes down to what I want. Isn't that fun, Chef?" Chris turned around to Chef, who nodded. Chris turned back to the contestants. "In addition to the deluxe suite, you guys will also compete for many other privileges, most of which I will probably make up on the spot."

"What if someone gets voted off by the fans after they won the deluxe suite?" DJ asked.

"Won't be an issue. Voting off occurs every Saturday, and every Sunday is a competition. Even if they did get voted off, the suite will be filled the next day. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, I have one," Gwen said, raising her hand. "Where do the people who are voted off go?"

"Glad you asked, Gwen. They go to a different floor of the hotel. I call it the Floor of Losers, but feel free to give it whatever name you want. Exact same situation, only they don't dine out here with the not-losers. They'll have their own kitchen and dining area, so it's not like they'll starve. The rooms are the same, only they smell like failure, hahaha."

"So they're not allowed to interact with us?" Gwen asked.

"Nope. Their floor is way near the top, so they have their own pool and grill on the roof . It's not the worst, they just won't have the freedom to go wherever they want."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Duncan said, and there were murmurs of agreement across the table.

"You all still wanna win, though. So don't go giving up on me here," Chris said.

"Yeah, a million bucks could be nice," Noah said. Again, there were murmurs of agreement.

Gwen wasn't one of the murmurs. She didn't care either way. Maybe she didn't want to be the first one to go, since she didn't want to be alone for a full week, but honestly? The situation seemed... cozy, for a change. The hotel was very nice. Looking out across the backyard, there was a large blue in-ground pool, surrounded by pool chairs. A little further down was an outdoor couch area, with an electric firepit in the middle, presumably for late night chats and s'mores. There was even a television there! Surrounded by friends, eating burnt marshmallows, and watching TV late at night in the warm air. That was the plan. Her life at this hotel was going to be magnificent, million dollars or not.

"No more questions?" Chris paused for a minute, smiling as he looked around the table. Some people shook their heads. Chris clamped his hands together, standing up. "Okay campers, now you may eat!" Chris pointed to the far side of the gazebo, where two of his interns lifted a metal covering off of a clothed table, revealing the food that was hidden underneath. Chris and Chef walked out of the gazebo, followed by his interns, leaving the contestants to go up and get their food.

People started getting up. Soon enough, a line was formed, with hungry contestants waiting for a chance to get their food. Gwen stood up and got in line behind Courtney. After around five minutes, the line cleared up and Gwen was next to get her food. There were ribs, vegetable and fruit salads, an assortment of sandwiches, steaks, corn on the cob, pasta, practically an unlimited selection. Gwen piled some pasta and salad onto her plate, grabbing a soda as she went back to her spot next to Sierra and sat.

"This foods really good!" Courtney said, her mouth half full of steak.

"It looks good. I honestly didn't expect the food to be amazing, but as Chris said, the producers went all out with the budget for some reason," Gwen said, picking up her fork to begin eating. The pasta was soft, barely giving any resistance as she poked it with her fork. The heat from the sauce rose off of it in steamy grey streaks. Gwen took a bite, followed by a muffled _mmmm!_ as she looked at Courtney while nodding her head, eyes widened.

"That pasta looks amazing. I might go up and get some for myself," Courtney said, eyeing Gwen's plate.

"Here, try some," Gwen said, pushing her plate closer to Courtney.

Courtney shook her head. "No, I can't. It's rude to eat off of someone else's plate."

"Not if they let you. Come on!" Gwen smiled, insisting.

"Fine, fine. Thanks Gwen." Courtney picked up some pasta with her fork and put it in her mouth, having nearly the same reaction that Gwen had earlier.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Gwen asked. 

"Yeah. It's the sauce. I wonder what it is?" Courtney asked, looking more closely at the sauce.

The sauce was white in color, and very, very smooth. "Maybe it's alfredo?" Gwen said.

"Hey, I know who to ask." Courtney looked around the table, until her eyes lit up. "Hey, DJ!" 

DJ looked over to them. "Yeah, what's up?"

Courtney held out a fork with the pasta on it. "What's this sauce?"

"Hmm. Looks like Bechamel. I'll have to try it myself to be sure," DJ said.

"Thanks!" Courtney said, returning to eating the pasta. "Bechamel. I've heard of it before, but I've never tried it."

"Well, it doesn't matter what it is. It's delicious, regardless." Gwen continued eating. Soon, both of their plates were empty, and their stomachs full.

As the sun set in the sky, the contestants sat around the table, quiet and content. "That. Was. Amazing!" Owen said, breaking the brief silence. "Woohoo! The food here is insane!"

"Yeah, man. I could eat this stuff all day!" Geoff agreed. Bridgette wrapped an arm around him, nodding her head.

"So, what now?" Ezekiel asked. Apparently, no one knew the answer, as the silence persisted. Cameras were around them on all sides.

The first to get up was Heather. "I don't know about you dumbasses, but I'm taking a shower." She wiped her mouth with a napkin before placing it back down on the table and walking out of the gazebo, back towards the resort.

"A shower doesn't sound too bad," Alejandro said, getting up and sprinting to catch up with Heather, who crossed her arms and looked away. They seemed to be arguing about something already, but they were too far away for Gwen to hear.

"Might go for a dip, to be honest," Geoff said. "Sound good Bridge?" 

"Yeah. Let's change first," Bridgette said, getting up and locking hands with Geoff as they walked back to the resort.

Soon, within the span of a minute, most of the campers had found something to do with the rest of their evening. Of course, this did not include Gwen.

Courtney had gotten up to take a shower, leaving Gwen alone at the table with Sierra and Cody. Cody! "Hey, Cody!" Gwen said.

"Oh, hi, Gwen. We haven't seen much of each other since the show ended." Cody scratched his head nervously.

"We haven't even _seen_ each other since the show ended. It's nice to see you again," Gwen said, smiling. Cody nodded, smiling back at her.

Gwen, Cody, and Sierra talked for a bit as the interns cleaned the table around them. Cody had become a songwriter for a music label, which fit considering his experience in "The Drama Brothers." He and Sierra had become really good friends, like, _super_ good friends. Gwen was almost jealous of how tight their friendship was, but more than anything she was confused. Sierra had spent a whole season basically stalking him and yet, here they were, confident in calling each other their best friend. She was happy for them, though.

Sierra, on the other hand, had used her Total Drama Super Fan skills for good, becoming a full time blogger, much like Gwen. She blogged about her time on the show, revealing secrets about all the contestants, and was basically just riding out the waves of her fame. It was more than enough to keep the bills paid apparently, as she lived in a super fancy beach house. Sierra had also become a lot more mature, it seemed. She wasn't gushing about Cody every minute, and didn't seem to mind when he talked to other girls or even dared to have a relationship with one. She confided in Gwen in a hushed tone that she is "playing up her crazy factor for the cameras," in the hopes that it would help her get far in the game. Gwen was just glad to see how happy she and Cody had become.

Gwen glanced at the digital clock that was on a wall near the ceiling of the inside of the gazebo. In red numbers it read: 9:43 P.M., which meant they had been talking for nearly three hours! Gwen yawned involuntarily, holding a hand over her mouth. She was tired, now that she thought about it. "Hey guys, it's getting kinda late. I might just go back to the room and get some shut-eye."

"Good idea. I'm a little tired, too." Cody yawned as well, stretching his arms.

"Samesies!" Sierra said, yawning much louder than both of them. "Wait! I wanna show Cody something. You can go on ahead, Gwen. I'll be there in a bit!"

"Alright. Goodnight, Cody. Night Sierra." Gwen got up and started back to the resort. She pushed open the glass door to step into the building. The interior was now lit with the flames from the candles and the soft light from the overhead chandelier. Gwen walked up the stairs, making her way back to her room. Down the hall and around the corner she heard laughing. Two people were coming towards her, but she couldn't make out the voices. Or maybe she didn't want to make out the voices.

While Gwen reached into her pocket for her key, the voices rounded the corner. It was Courtney and Duncan. They were laughing and playfully arguing.

"No, it's not!" Courtney said, still laughing.

"Yeah it is!" Duncan laughed then paused as he noticed Gwen. "Oh, hey, Gwen, can you settle something for us?" Duncan asked. 

Gwen had just placed the key in the lock. She turned to meet them. Courtney's arm was locked around his and she looked so... happy. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Okay, okay. Is it fair that someone who may or may not have committed a crime, gets off scot-free?" Duncan said.

"May or may not have? You one-hundred percent committed the crime, don't lie!" Courtney said, smacking Duncan's arm lightly. He held it with an exaggerated hurt expression on his face.

"Okay, whatever. What say you, Gwen?" Duncan asked.

"Well, depends on the crime. Murder? No way. But something like petty theft, or jaywalking? Yeah. Seems fair." Gwen opened the door to her room.

"See? Told ya it's fair!" Duncan said, turning to Courtney.

"I'm a lawyer! I'm supposed to be on the side of the law, no matter wh-" Courtney was cut off as Gwen slammed the door to her room shut. She turned around and faced the door for a bit, hand hovering over the doorknob. Her eyes pinched closed, a grimace appearing on her lips. Instead, she just stroked the door softly, then turned and headed to her bed. 

"Be a little quieter, would you?" Heather complained all the way from the other side of the room. She turned in her bed, the bedsheets shifting around her.

"Sorry," Gwen said, not really in the mood to fight with Heather. But then again, when was she ever? She placed the key on her nightstand and then got up to go take a shower.

The water in the shower was warm, although Gwen turned it a little colder to meet her tastes. All the while, she couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen. Were Courtney and Duncan back together already? It wasn't like Gwen still had feelings for Duncan anymore. She was the one who broke up with him, not the other way around. So why did she feel like this? She finished her shower and dried herself off. It didn't matter. She went to bed, getting under the covers and sinking down in the soft mattress further than she ever had before.

It was gonna be okay. That's what she told herself as she drifted off to a not-so-sweet slumber.


	4. Miracle Friendship

The sun was excruciatingly hot. Beads of sweat rolled down Gwen's forehead, causing her makeup to get a little messy. Nothing unmanageable, but still annoying.

Chris had woken them up at 8:00 A.M. to inform them that, since it was a Sunday, it was competition day. And that, for some reason, the competition had to take place in the early hours of the morning. Back home, Gwen usually woke up at 11:00 A.M., so 8 o'clock in the morning was especially tiring for her. But it was Chris. What did she honestly expect?

She stood on the hot pavement next to the pool, shifting her feet every second or so in order to stop them from burning. Her black bathing suit wasn't doing her any favors with the sun. "When's Chris gonna get here?" Gwen asked, her tone of voice demanding.

Justin, who was standing next to Gwen, spoke. "I know, right. He has the nerve to wake us up so early in the morning. Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep."

It was around five minutes later when Chris finally appeared. He stood on the other side of the pool, Chef next to him. "Good morning, campers!"

"Get on with the challenge already, it's hotter than Satan's armpit!" Heather said, speaking for everyone who was already sweating buckets.

"Hope you guys are strong swimmers, because this week's challenge is a good old-fashioned relay race!" Chris said, smile wide as ever.

"Relay race means we're gonna have partners, does it not?" Harold asked.

"Indeedy-do, my nerdy friend. And, if your pathetic duo wins, both of you will be spending a week together in the deluxe suite. So technically, you get to choose who to spend it with. So what are you waiting for? Partner up!"

Gwen looked around. People were already partnering up while she just stood there. It felt like highshool gym class all over again. Lindsay was with Tyler, Sierra was with Cody, Leshawna was with Harold, and Courtney was with... Duncan. She looked at the pavement. No, she didn't care. She didn't care.

She almost jumped when she was tapped on the shoulder. "Hey, you wanna be partners?"

She turned, although she already had a pretty good idea of who the voice belonged to. Trent.

"Oh, okay. Yeah," Gwen said. Not like she had a choice.

"Awesome." Trent stood next to her, giving her a small smile. Gwen smiled back. Trent was a weird choice. Upon further reflection, things were really awkward between them. But she felt a certain inexplicable warmness when standing next to him. Almost as if she had returned to the good old days of season one.

Once everyone had chosen their partners, Chris spoke. "Okay, now, one of the partners, choose a lane and come to this side of the pool." The interns then came out and placed twelve lanes of rope neatly and evenly in the pool. Gwen and Trent chose one near the edge, sandwiched between Katie and Sadie and Owen and Noah. 

"I'll go to the other side," Trent said, beginning to walk to the other side.

"Okay. Safe travels!" Gwen called as he walked further and further away. He smiled briefly.

Now the cast was evenly split; twelve on one side, twelve on the other. Chris nodded his head. "Here's how this is gonna work. This side," Chris said, motioning towards the side he was on, with Trent, "is going to go first. When we ring the bell, you go. Once your partner reaches your side, you jump in and swim until you reach the other side. Once that is over, stop until everyone has finished. We'll do six sets, each one eliminating the final two to finish. Clear?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was pretty straightforward. Even Lindsay didn't have any questions.

The interns stood at the side of the pool, along with Chef. They'd most likely be judging the competition. Multiple eyes were practically a necessity when there were so many teams swimming at once.

"Ready... Set... Go!" Chris said as he rung the bell. Trent immediately dove in, swimming at a moderately fast pace. Before she knew it, he was at her side, and she was plunging headfirst into the pool.

It'd been a while since Gwen last swam. The water was cool on her skin, but she had no time to appreciate it. One stroke after the other, over and over, her legs peddling along quickly. She reached the other side of the pool in an indefinite amount of time, taking deep breaths, clearing the water and hair out of her eyes so she could open them to take a look at the other teams, still panting heavily. There were only three teams still swimming: Katie and Sadie, Beth and Justin, and DJ and Eva. DJ was never a strong swimmer to begin with, Katie and Sadie were never strong competitors, and as for Beth and Justin, neither of them were the best at swimming. Nevertheless, Justin had managed to finish before the other two teams, causing both teams to be eliminated from the challenge.

Gwen got out of the pool, sitting at the edge as she struggled to catch her breath and get herself ready for round 2. On the other side, Trent waved to her, and she waved back. He then gave her a thumbs up and a smile, and she nodded. They were lucky to not be the first ones eliminated.

Round after round, Gwen and Trent managed to stay in the competition. It was down to the final four. Gwen had really gotten the hang of swimming relays with Trent, and was even starting to enjoy herself, despite the added adrenaline of competing. She looked around to the other teams that were still participating.

Geoff and Bridgette, obviously. They were surfers; she'd be surprised if they _weren't_ finalists. Then there was Alejandro and Heather, who seemed to be bickering with each other all the way from across the pool. The final duo was Lindsay and Tyler. Tyler was incredibly athletic, but Gwen didn't think Lindsay was too wonderful of a swimmer. She smiled. Maybe her and Trent actually had a chance!

The round began with a harsh bell. Trent plunged into the pool, same as every other round, and Gwen waited eagerly. She didn't hesitate to dive in once he reached her side, swimming as if her life depended on it. When she reached the other side, she looked at the other teams. Lindsay was still swimming but the other two teams had already finished their laps. Shit.

Gwen got out of the pool and met with Trent as they went to sit down on a lounge chair together. He placed a hand on her shoulder while she began to dry herself off. He chuckled. "We got pretty far, didn't we?"

"Yeah. I really didn't expect to do that well," Gwen agreed. "Would've been better if we had won, though."

"There's still more challenges to come. This is only the first one."

"Yeah." Gwen was actually excited to do more challenges. It was like Trent said: just because they didn't win this time doesn't mean they can't win another time. She looked at Trent, whose face still hadn't changed from all those years ago. He was too busy drying himself off with a towel to notice her gaze.

Gwen turned her attention back to the challenge. It was Alejandro and Heather versus Geoff and Bridgette. "Who do you think will win?" Gwen asked.

"My money's on the surfers. I don't think I have to explain. They're surfers," Trent said, now paying more attention to the challenge.

"Same. And I really don't want Heather to win. Although it would be nice to have her out of my room for a week."

Trent laughed. "Yeah, I heard you were roomed with Heather. Must suck."

"It does suck," Gwen said. The bell rang, and the two teams began their relay. Gwen sat back, looking up at the sky and squinting. "Today's a scorcher."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Trent said, now taking his eyes of the competition to look at Gwen. "Good thing the challenge involved water."

"I would've melted otherwise." Gwen now sat up to take a glance at the competition, and to nobody's surprise, Geoff and Bridgette had won.

"Woohoo! Good job, Bridge!" Geoff said, hugging Bridgette, who smiled and hugged him back.

"Pack your things, lovebirds, 'cause you guys are going to be the first to stay in the luxury suite!" Chris said. He turned to the rest of the competitors. "You losers can go do whatever the hell you want now."

Gwen got up, ready to collapse back in her bed and make up for the lost hours of sleep. But the excitement from the competition and the strenuous exercise from swimming had woken her permanently for the day. So, she was pretty much stuck with nothing to do.

Trent stood up next to Gwen. "Got any plans for today?" 

"Not particularly," Gwen said. Trent was relentless, she'll give him that.

"Why don't we do something together?" Trent said. When Gwen raised an eyebrow, he continued. "I mean, the fans would like to see us being friendly towards each other. We _are_ friends, right?"

Gwen nodded, crossing her arms loosely. "Yeah. We're friends. I -- yeah, let's do something together. Why not?"

"Awesome! I'll get dressed. Meet in the lobby in five?" 

"Works for me."

"Cool! Seeya then." Trent jogged back to the resort, causing Gwen to smile. He was too transparent, but it still made Gwen feel all warm and fuzzy inside. At least someone wanted to spend time with her. She actually wasn't too sure how she felt about Trent. She liked him, but in what way? She shook her head softly. She'd figure it out eventually. Especially after today.

"OMG Gwent is back together!" Sierra squealed, running up to Gwen.

"We're not back together. We're just hanging out," Gwen explained, looking around nervously to see if anyone heard Sierra.

"Hanging out is a codeword for date!" Sierra said, now hugging Gwen.

"We're -- not dating. We're -- friends!" Gwen said between gasps of air.

Sierra stopped hugging Gwen. "Have fun on your _hangout_ , Gwen!" She said the word, "hangout" with a wink, causing Gwen to shake her head and roll her eyes. Sierra then bounced away, clearly content with how she had played up her craziness for the cameras.

It didn't matter what Sierra thought. Gwen and Trent were just friends, and Gwen was sure it would stay that way.

Five minutes had passed and Gwen had already gone back to her room, changed her clothes, and was now waiting for Trent in the lobby. She took a seat on one of the fancy benches, now taking the time to fully examine the entirety of the lobby without Blaineley there to interrupt her. The ceiling was high, and the sun shone down through a massive skylight. In the middle of the skylight hung a golden chandelier, with what seemed to be diamonds adorned on it that reflected the sun's light. It was only 9 in the morning, so the sunlight was almost overhead.

A few minutes later, Trent was walking down the steps to meet Gwen. "Hey, sorry I'm a little late," he said.

"It's okay," Gwen said. "The lobby's beautiful. I don't mind sitting in it."

"Cody was in the shower, and for some reason he locked the door to the bathroom even though the shower has a curtain. Said it's a 'force of habit' or whatever. So there I was, banging on the door, just wanting to brush my damn hair and take a quick piss. Oh, sorry. Too much information."

"No, it's fine. I haven't talked to you in a while, so feel free to talk my ear off. So, do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really. I was figuring we could take a walk around the city, maybe come back and watch a movie. Have you seen the indoor theatre here? It's insane. Then by that point it'd be dinner. We would have dinner, maybe go for a nighttime swim, sit around the firepit. Could get Cody or Leshawna to join us along the way. Sound good?"

"Sounds fun!" Gwen said. "What are we waiting for?" She started off towards the front entrance of the resort, Trent following her with an equal if not higher level of anticipation.

And so the two went around the city, stopping in at stores just to browse. Trent stopped at a music store to buy himself a pick, while Gwen went to an art supplies store to get herself a sketchbook, which she had stupidly left out of her bags when she packed. They stopped at a cafe around lunchtime and got sandwiches, conversing and catching up with each other. Trent was a solo artist, and his music was picking up big time. He hopes that the reunion show will be enough for him to promote his music and gain a larger audience. Gwen told him all about her blog, to which he guiltily admitted to following. It was now 3 in the afternoon, and they were walking down the street back to the resort.

"The city's so big," Gwen said.

"Yeah. And lively. And full of good food." Trent put his hands in his pockets, looking forward.

"I haven't been out like this in forever," she said. 

"Really? I thought you lived near a big city."

"Yeah, but I don't have a lot of excuses to go out. Kinda just stay in my house all day."

"Bummer. If I lived closer to you, I would've invited you out sometime."

"Hmm." Gwen rolled her eyes. Sure he would've. He hadn't reached out to her all these years but yeah, that was only because he didn't _live_ near her.

"What's up?" Trent asked.

"Nothing."

The two had reached the gate and buzzed in. They reached the front of the resort in no time, Trent holding the door for her as she walked in. The conditioned air felt good on her skin that had just been out in the sun for hours.

"How about that movie?" Trent offered, pointing his thumb to the hallway. He looked at Gwen expectantly; he was probably nervous that she would refuse his request.

"What movies do they have here anyways?" Gwen asked, walking towards the hallway. She didn't want to play with his feelings, but a movie actually did sound nice.

Once they reached the theatre, Trent held the door open for her. She walked in, the cold air of the theatre combined with the dark black walls making her feel at ease. "Wow. This place is kinda amazing."

"I told you so!" Trent said, now jogging in front of her. He hastily made his way up the theatre steps to stop at the projector, looking at all the movies. "Any genre you have in mind?"

"Horror! I don't care what movie. Just make it horror." Gwen took a seat right in the front and middle of the theatre. The seats were incredibly comfortable, and Gwen reclined back until she was at the perfect angle. Trent placed a movie in the projector, which began within moments. He took a seat right next to her, reclining his seat as well. 

Two hours later, the movie's end credits began to roll. Gwen got out of her seat. "That was amazing!"

Trent, on the other hand, was glued to his seat. "Ah, yeah. But they... died at the end."

"I know! Happy endings are way too predictable."

Trent got up, looking at the clock. "Hey, it's almost six."

"Dinner's soon." Gwen looked at Trent and smiled. "Today was fun. I really missed you, Trent."

"I missed you too."

Trent hugged her.

Gwen's eyes widened, but she eventually gave in to the hug, wrapping her arms around him, only slightly touching the back of his shirt. The hug lasted for only a brief couple of moments. Even though she was still unsure of how she felt about him, it was nice to hug someone. This was the first person she'd hugged in five years, voluntarily, since Sierra's bear-hugs don't really count. But Trent and her were just friends, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Let's get some dinner." Gwen walked out of the theatre to make her way to the gazebo. Trent followed her.

When they got to the dinner table, they sat down next to each other.

"Looks like goth girl and guitar boy finally got back together," Heather remarked. She was sitting right across from Gwen in a seat next to Alejandro, who seemed to enjoy the sparks of war between the two girls.

"We're not together. And you're one to talk. You're sitting right next to Alejandro. Are you two not together?" Gwen said, smirking. _Now_ she was in the mood to get into it with Heather.

"Shut up," Heather said, looking away from Gwen. "It's purely strategical. What's your excuse?"

"I told you, we're not together. Focus on your own disgusting little life."

More and more people had begun to take their seats at the table. With that, more and more people were there to witness the beginnings of a fight. Heather scoffed. "You're right. I shouldn't be too preoccupied with what happens in _lame_ goth girl's life! You're not even a fan favorite, so why would I bother spending my time with you?" Heather poked at her food, now done with the conversation.

Gwen opened her mouth, but Trent laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, and he shook his head. "She's not worth it. Come on, let's just eat."

Gwen snatched her plate. "Yeah. Let's eat." She walked over to the buffet and took her food, sitting down in the same seat across from Heather. Heather smiled at her. Gwen tried her best to ignore her, instead focusing her attention on Trent.

Halfway through dinner, Geoff stood up in his seat and began to yell above everyone else. "Yo dudes! Listen up!" When the gazebo became quiet, he continued. "Tonight, at 8, Bridge and I are hosting a massive party in the luxury suite, and all of you are invited! It's wicked mad up there, bros, and I wanna share that with you guys! Don't be shy, come up and par-TAY!" Bridgette tugged on his shorts, looking up at him with concern. He look down at her, confused, and then facepalmed. "Oh yeah, almost forgot. It's BYOB! Bring your own drinks! The mini fridge is only made for like two people so we'll run dry quicker than a puddle in a desert! Alright, see you guys at 8!" He sat back down in his seat and talked to Bridgette.

"Party, huh?" Trent said. "You gonna go?"

"I don't know. I'm not too big on parties," Gwen replied.

"Aw, but it'll be fun. We can go together."

Gwen thought for a moment. It was true that she didn't like parties all that much, but this was a certified Geoff party. Plus, if Trent was gonna be there, then it wouldn't completely suck. "Okay then. Meet me outside my room at 8?"

"Yep. I'll be there." Trent went back to eating, causing Gwen to do the same.

A few minutes later they were both done with their plates. Gwen headed back up to her room to take a shower, while Trent wanted to go for a walk. They parted ways at the gazebo.

Gwen walked back to her room. While she was in the hallway, a door opened on the "A" side. Harold walked out, followed by Cody. They seemed to be heading to the backyard. She didn't pay too much attention to them as she stopped in front of her room and reached into her pocket for her keys. She reached up to unlock the door when she stopped; she heard voices. She pressed her ear up against the door to hear them better.

" _Why_ don't you want to go with me?" The first voice said, sounding like it belonged to a man.

"Get out of my room! How many times am I gonna have to say it?!" The second voice replied, agitated. That was definitely Heather.

Gwen opened the door. "Am I interrupting something?" As Gwen just learned, the first voice belonged to Alejandro, which Gwen probably could've guessed. He stood between Heather and Gwen, staring at Gwen as she had just entered. Gwen had figured that Heather deserved a little break, seeing as she evidently did not want Alejandro in the room. While she hated Heather, she wanted to be there for her in situations like this.

"No. Your timing couldn't be any more perfect," Heather said. She looked at Alejandro and pointed to the door. "Now leave!"

Alejandro looked at Heather then back at Gwen and then walked out, closing the door behind him. Heather held a hand to her head, breathing out a sigh. Gwen put her key down on the nightstand. "What was that all about?"

"None of your business, gothy. But, you did help me out there, if you meant to or not." Heather paused, bringing a finger to her chin and tapping it. "Fine. Sorry about earlier."

"Wow, an apology from Heather? Am I dreaming?" Gwen said.

"Shut up before I take it back!"

"No, no. I accept the apology, your Highness." Gwen walked into the bathroom, pausing halfway and looking back at Heather. "I know we're not friends, but... I got your back. You know that, right?"

Heather just rolled her eyes and nodded her head, laying down on her bed and looking away. Deep down Gwen knew that Heather would do the same for her if their positions were ever reversed. Wait, would she? It was easier, and more comforting, to think that she would, so yeah, she'd let herself believe it for now.

Gwen hopped into the shower. As she stared at the tiled wall, it came to her: she hadn't thought about Courtney or Duncan all day. Her time with Trent was actually successful at taking her mind off of them. How successful it would be at the party that they were also presumably going to, however, was another story. She smiled, letting the cool water run down her back. She could do it. She could do it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first published fanfic ever. Constructive criticism encouraged please! Also don't be afraid to comment or just talk to me I am very friendly ;) 
> 
> Any ships you wanna see in this story? Comment! I don't strongly ship anything in Total Drama except for a handful of canon relationships so I'm open to just about anything! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy.


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